A loanword from Japanese (うま味), umami can be translated as "pleasant savory taste". This neologism was coined in 1908 by Japanese … See more

Scientists have debated whether umami was a basic taste since Kikunae Ikeda first proposed its existence in 1908. In 1985, the term umami was recognized as the scientific term to … See more

Umami has a mild but lasting aftertaste associated with salivation and a sensation of furriness on the tongue, stimulating the throat, the roof and the back of the mouth. By itself, umami is not See more

Since all umami taste compounds are sodium salts, the perceptual differentiation of salty and umami tastes has been difficult in taste tests and studies have found as much as 27% of certain populations may be umami "hypotasters".
Furthermore single … See more

Glutamate has a long history in cooking. Fermented fish sauces (garum), which are rich in glutamate, were used widely in ancient Rome, … See more

Many foods are rich in the amino acids and nucleotides imparting umami. Naturally occurring glutamate can be found in meats and … See more

Most taste buds on the tongue and other regions of the mouth can detect umami taste, irrespective of their location. (The tongue map in … See more